Machine for straightening and finishing fabrics



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I. E. PALMER MACHINE FOR STRA'IGHTENING AND FINISHING FABRICS. No.270,835. Patented Jan. 16,1883.

l'gl I I I T u u uuu LIIUUZLLFU N. PETER$ Pholu ljllwgnphur. W-hmglun.D. c,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

1. E. PALMER.

MACHINE FOR .STRAIGHTENING AND FINISHING FABRICS. No. 270,835. PatentedJan.16,188 3.

fiz A Wig;

u. Pnzns Plmloliliwgmphcr. Wm II I on. 0,1;

struction hereinafter described.

UNITED STATES PATENT Farce.

ISA-AC E. PALMER, OF MIDDLETOVVN, CONNECTICUT.

M ACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING AND FINISHING FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,835, dated January16, 1883. Application filed December 8, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, ofMiddletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forStraightening and Finishing Fabrics,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to machines for tentering, straightening, andfinishing fabrics wherein the side edges or selvages of the fabric aregrasped or held by selvage-carrying devices, which, as they moveforward, tend to stretch the fabriclaterally to bring or keep it to itsfull width.

The selvage-carrying devices in many machines of this class, and whichmay be used in carrying out this invention, consist of rotating wheelsarranged so that they diverge in the direction in which they carry thefabric, and endless chains or bands which hold the selvages of thefabric upon the wheels; but the construction of these devices isimmaterial to my present invention.

The invention consists in the combination, in amachine for finishingfabrics, with selvagecarrying devices and mechanism for operating them,of bars arranged transversely to the length of the fabric between theselvage-carrying devices and mechanism for reciprocating said bars in adirection approximately lengthwise of the fabric as the latter is movedover them, whereby the warp and weft threads are moved on each other andare caused to assume their proper relative positions.

The invention also consists in the combination, in a machine of the kindabove described, with selvage-carryingdevices and mechanism foroperating them, of an upright shaft and mechanism for oscillating it orrotating it alternately in opposite directions, and a bar or barsarranged transversely to the length of the fabric between saidselvage-carrying devices and operated by said shaft. The oscillation ofsaid shaft causes the end portions of the bars to move or reciprocate inarc-shaped paths of large radius, and although this reciprocation is notrectilineal it may be considered as in a. direction approximatelylengthwise of the fabric.

The invention also consists in details of con- In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 represents a transverse vertical section on thedotted line to m, Fig. 2, of a machine embodying my invention, certainof the parts, which are immaterial so far as my invention is concerned,being omitted. Fig. 2- represents a plan of themachine, certain parts ofthe frame being in section; Fig. 3 represents a detail sectional view,hereinafter referred to. Figs. 4. and 5 represent two forms ofreciprocating bars which constitute part of my invention. Fig. 6represents a transverse vertical section of a machine embodying amodification of my invention, certain parts being omitted. Fig. 7represents a plan of the machine shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 representsa diagram view of a machine embodying another modification of myinvention.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures. I

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A designates a bed, and Abase plates, which are adapted to be adjusted toward and from each otheralong the bed A by means of a screw, a, to suit fabrics of differentwidths. Upon the base-plates A are mounted frames A in which arejournaled selvage-carrying wheels B, and which have a turn-tableconnection, S, with the base-plates, so that the wheels B can beadjusted to any desired angle of divergence, as shown in Fig. 2. Eachofthe selvage-carrying wheels B comprises a bevelwheel, B.; and bdesignates bevel-pinions engaging with the bevel-wheels B, and mountedon vertical shafts B to which motion is imparted by bevel-gearing 0 froma main drivingshaft, C. The construction of the'frame-work and theselvage carrying wheels, and the mechanism for driving and adjusting thelatter, is all similar to that shown in Reissue Letters Patent No.9,452, granted to me November 9, 1880, and no further descriptionthereof is necessary. I

Above each wheel B is an endless chain or band, d, (shown only in dottedlines in Fig. 1,) which passes around or in contact with'nearly thewhole upper half of the periphery of the wheel, and around pulleys e e.The pulleys e are mountedin stationary bearings; but the pulleys e havetheir hearings in a frame, C,'which may be adjusted up or down by aregulatingscrew, 0 to put more or less tension on the chain or band. Thefabric f passes under a bar or roller, f, as seen in dotted lines inFig. 1, and its selvages pass between the wheels B I and their'adjacentchains or hands d, which give the wheels a hold on the fabric and causeit to move forward at a speed corresponding to the peripherical velocityof the wheels. The fabric f in leaving the machine passes under aroller, f and thence may be carried to a beam or roller or to adrying-cylinder, (not here sl1own,) whereon it is wound; or it may passover drying-cylinders. The manner of constructing and arranging thechains or hands cl, and adjusting the tension of the same, as abovementioned, is similar to that shown and described inLettersPatentNo.164,026, granted June 1, 1875, to William H. Palmer,Jr., and needs no further description here; but in lieu of chains orbands the selvage-carryin g wheels B may be provided with pins or teethor be covered with card clothing to give them a hold on the fabric, orindeed "any other equivalent selvage-carrying devices may be employed inplace of the wheels 13.

I will nowv describe the mechanism whereby a positive reciprocatingmotion is given to the fabric between'the selvages, and which embodiesmy invention.

D designates an arch or frame erected midway between the wheels B andsupported on abase-plate, A, which rests on the bed A; and E designatesa vertical shaft, having a bearing therein,as shown clearly in Fig. 1.Upon this shaft is fixed a bevel-pinion, g,- and g designates a toothedsector, engaging with said pin-.

ion and forming one arm of a bell-crank lever, E, which is fulcrumed atg to the frame or arch D.

F designates an eccentric upon a countershaft, F, which is driven by abelt, F from the main shaft 0, and the said eccentric is connected by arod, F, with the bell-crank lever E, so as to operate it. Thecounter-shaft F is arranged slightly below and at the back of the bed A.By this or any other suitablyarranged and equivalent mechanism thevertical shaft E has a short rotary motion imparted to it alternately inopposite directions, or is oscillated. Upon the upper end of the shaft Eis secured a plate or T-shaped head, It, (shown best in Fig. 4,) andupon this is secured a bar, G, of wood or other material, which is swungback and forth in a horizontal plane as the shaft E is oscillated. Oneach side of the bar G is arranged a bar, G, which may have a curvedprofile, as shown in Fig. 2, or may be straight, like the bar G, and itis secured to a plate, h, which has a screwthreaded shank, h

To the arch or frame D are secured brackets i, which are bolted thereto,and the boltspreferably pass through slots in the frame, to enable thebrackets to be adjusted slightly to ward or from the shaft E.

To each bracket 2' is pivoted a socket-piece,

t, and the bolts 6 on which the socket-pieces may be swiveled, serve toclamp them at any angle relatively to the brackets t to which they maybe adjusted. In each socket-piece t" is a nut, t which is secured inplace by a pin, "5 in the socket, entering a circumferential groove inthe nut, as best seen in Fig. 3, thereby holding the nutin the socket sothat it may be freely turned therein. Each nut 2' receives the stem orshank h of the plate h, on which the bar G is fastened; and it will bereadily seen that by turning, these nuts the bars G may be adjusted upor down, while by swing-- ing the socket-pieces i on the bolts '5 thebars may be brought nearer to or moved away from the middle bar, G, andmade to operate in a plane at a greater or less angle to the horizontal.

On the plates h h of the bars G G are a number of downwardly-projectingstuds orpins, t and both the bars G may be connected with the bar G byleather straps t or other connections, as clearly-seen in Fig. 2, sothat they will derive motion from said bar.

It will be seen from the above that allthree bars G G may be oscillatedin a horizontal plane; or the bar G may be oscillated and the bars G andany additional similar bars oscillated in a plane at any desired angleto the horizontal.

I deem it desirable to give the bars G the curved profile, shown becausethey will present a greater length of surface for acting on the fabricthan would a straight bar, and will be more effective in properlyplacing the warp and weft threads of the fabric relatively to each otherafter they have been displaced by starching or other operations.

The straps i may be adjusted on the pins or studs "5 nearer to orfarther from the center of oscillation of the bars G G, so as totransmit to the latter bars a greater or less movement as the fabric iscarried over them. The selvagecarryingdcvices,which are divergentfromeach other, stretch the fabric in the direction of its width, as iscommon in machines of this class. The end portions of the bars arecaused to reciprocate in a direction approximately lengthwise of thefabric, and as they move backward and forward they drag upon or over thefabric,

and tend to produce in the fabric a corresponding reciprocating motion.This action on the fabric is very effective in straightening the threadsand bringing the warp and weft threads into proper relation to eachother, and as the bars are arranged transversely to the length of thefabric they act upon the fabric through or across a large part of itswidth.

In connection with the barsG G, a stationary friction surface or dragover which the fabric is moved may be used. Such a drag is representedas composed of sectional bars H, connected at their outer ends to archesor frames D, and slotted so that they may be adjusted in length to suitany angle of divergence of the wheels B or width of fabric. The meetingends of the bars H are connected orjointed to screws 45', which arefitted in brackets i bolted fast to the arch or frame D. The screws 1are provided with nuts 1', which may be adjusted to cause the screws toproject more or less from the brackets 4J Henceit will be seen that byadjusting these nuts the meeting ends of the bars H can be bowed outmore or less, so

and are telescopic, so as to accommodate themselves to the difierentdegrees of divergence of the frames A as do the rollers shown anddescribed in Letters Patent No. 164,026, granted June 1, 1.875, toWilliam H. Palmer, Jr. The fabric and the carrying or active portions ofthe bands or chains-d pass between the rollers and the wheels B. Therollers j of course prevent the bulging or stretching ot'the fabricoutward at the points where they are placed. As the ends of the bars Gapproach the rollers j the fabric, is prevented by the rollers frombulging up or stretching in advance of the bars, and hence the bars, asthey reach the end of their movement, exert a sharp pull on the fabric,which is very effective in straightening the warp and weft threads. Inlieu of these barsG G, a single bar or any number greater than one maybe used.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, the construction and arrangement of thebed A, the selva-ge-carrying wheels B, the chains or bands 61, and itsrollers e e are all similar to that first described with reference toFigs. 1 to 5.

Midway between the wheels B is an arch or frame composed of two endportions, I, and a center or top portion, 1, as clearly seen in Fig. 6.The two portions I are fulcrumed at k, and the portion 1 is pivoted tothem at k, so that the frame is adapted to he swung back and forth onthe centers k in the direction in which the fabric is moved.

I representsabe'll-crank lever, fulcrumed at 1, one arm of which isconnected by a link, 1, with the portion 1 of the arch or frame, whilethe other arm is connected by a rod, F, with an eccentric, F, on ashaft, F, whereby the frame or arch I l is reciprocatcd or swung backand forth.

Hdesignates sectional bars, which are loosely connected at their outerends with the frames or arches D and at their inner endsto brackets m,secured to the arch or frame I I, and assaid arch or frame is moved backand forth the connected ends of the sectional bars H are reciprocatedand caused to act on the fabric.

The bars H have an effect very similar to that of the bars G G,previously described.

In the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 8 two bars, n, arefixed. in a frame, a, which is supported by arms or swinging uprights nfulcrumed at 0 to the frame A The frame a, with its bars a, isreciprocated by an arm or lever, 19, which receives motion through arod,p, from an eccentric, 12 as clearly shown.

It will be seen that in all the examples of my invention here shown thebars which are between the selvage-carryingwheels, or c'ertain of them,have a positive reciprocating motion imparted to them in a directionwhich is approximately lengthwise of the fabric, and as the fabric isdrawn tightly over them they tend to produce a corresponding motion ofthe fabric, and thereby are very effective in causing the warp and weftthreads to assume their proper relative positions.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, with selvage-carrying devices and mechanism foroperating them, of bars arranged transversely to the length of thefabric between the selvage-carrying devices, and mechanism forreciprocating said bars in a direction approximately lengthwise of thefabric as the latter is moved over them, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. The combination, with selvage-carrying wheels and chains or bands andmechanism for rotating said wheels, of bars arranged transversely to thelength of the fabric between said wheels, and mechanism forreciprocating said bars in a direction approximatelylengthwise of thefabric as the latter is moved over them, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. The combination, with selv'age-carrying devices and mechanism foroperating them, of an upright shaft and mechanism for oscillating it orrotating it alternatelyin opposite di- :05 rections, and a bar or barsarranged transversely to the length of-the fabric between saidselvage-carrying devices and operated by said shaft, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the selvage-carrying wheels B, chains or bands(I, and mechanism for operating said wheels, of the shaft E andmechanism for operating it, the bar G, fixed thereto, the bars G onopposite sides 15 thereof, and the counection'sz', all substantially asspecified.

5. The combination, with the wheels B, mechanism for operating them, andthe chains or bands (I, of the shaft E, the bars G G G, the connections45", the rollers j, and the frames A all substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the bar G and its screw h the bracket t, thesocket-piece z", swiveled thereto, and the nut 6 substantially asspecified.

. ISAAC E. PALMER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, EDWARD GLATZMAYER.

